摘要:

1.BackgroundHealth, safety, waste and environmental management (HSWEM) hold an interesting, integrated position in the community at large and across all business sectors. It is driven by a dynamic legislative environment and new information on hazards and impacts, changing regulatory instruments and evolving management systems. A recent review1tracking, health, safety and environmental legislative and regulatory action, worldwide, highlighted a significant change in emphasis, which for the first time sees environmental activity being matched by safety, stressing significant changes in the regulatory situation. The review also noted the vast difference in the volume of actions regionally, with the EU responsible for a significantly higher level of activity than elsewhere.In the foreseeable future, it is likely that legislative structures will undergo an evolution to encompass the key principles of sustainable development. The recent report by a Commission established by the UK’s National Society for Clean Air and Environmental Protection (NSCA),2assessing the UK/EU context, commented on a need to improve the integration between, for example, industrial regulation and planning systems and the introduction of “framework” agreements. These were seen as essential for the rationalisation of a regulatory environment that threatens to swamp the regulated with an increasingly diverse range of reporting and compliance.As a result, there is now a growing demand for well-qualified and suitably trained graduates, from the public and private sectors, who are able to assist in the solution of health and safety, waste and environmental management problems. Additionally, in recent years there has been a marked increase in the level of responsibility required of safety professionals. This emphasises the need for educational and training provision that is able to match the changing pressures on the professional.

ISSN:0960-7919    

DOI:10.1039/b207576h

出版商:RSC    

年代:2002

数据来源: RSC

摘要:

An earlier article inJ. Environ. Monit.1explained the relationship between the standardisation activities of CEN/TC137 and TC164 and the then new European Directives on Air Quality, namely the Chemical Agents Directive (98/24/EC)2and the Ambient Air Directive (96/62/EC).3

ISSN:0960-7919    

DOI:10.1039/b206633p

出版商:RSC    

年代:2002

数据来源: RSC

摘要:

In continuation of the Airmon symposia,1–3the fourth meeting in this series was held in Norway, February 3–7, 2002, at Hafjell 15 km north of Lillehammer where the slalom events were arranged during the Lillehammer Winter Olympics in 1994. The symposium was as previously, organized by the National Institute for Working Life, Umeå, Sweden and the National Institute of Occupational Health, Oslo, Norway.As for past meetings the organizers offered a meeting format of 4½ days with early morning and late afternoon/evening sessions allowing the 95 participants to enjoy the alpine and cross-country facilities located next to the conference venue (Quality Hafjell Hotel) during the extended lunch breaks.In recognition of the continuing need for improving air monitoring strategies and methodologies, 25 speakers were invited to address recent developments in air exposure assessment—strategies and methodologies, aerosols (included bio-aerosols), gases, vapours, mixed phases, indoor and ambient air as well as international standardization and quality assurance. Twenty-eight posters covering similar topics were presented and thoroughly discussed. Of course, not all papers were submitted for publication in this special issue and some that were did not make it through the review process. Nonetheless, twelve papers that, we believe, will be of value to the air monitoring community are presented.A symposium of this kind with a great proportion of the program as invited contributions is dependent on financial support from commercial companies. We gratefully acknowledge the support from our exhibitors presenting their latest developments of air monitoring equipment. Once again, the administrative and organizational handling of all details were excellently looked after by Margaret Karlsson and Margaret Rhén. Their enthusiastic care for everyone during the meeting is also much appreciated.Scientists do not always live in their narrow scientific world; a highlight of the symposium was when Professor J. H. Vincent (on the grand piano) and the young Swedish violinist, Ida Martha Rhén expressed their outstanding musical qualities in a 30 minute pot-pourri during the conference dinner.In order to expand the scope of this series the next Airmon symposium will include biological monitoring. The venue will be the acclaimed Hotel Alexandra in Loen in the glacier heart of Norway, June 2005.

ISSN:0960-7919    

DOI:10.1039/b208612n

出版商:RSC    

年代:2002

数据来源: RSC

摘要:

New air sampling methods are required in the USA to meet the challenge of stricter workplace regulations, particularly of carcinogens, such as benzene. In addition, workplace concerns have grown to encompass more complex issues, including sick building syndrome, again where more sensitive methods of analysis are required. In the environmental arena, current sampling and analysis methods have suffered because of analytical problems and the bulk and cost of the special containers required. In the past few years, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) have begun to investigate, and publish, methods using solid sorbents and thermal desorption plus gas chromatography. In addition, over the past 15 years, thermal desorption has found many other applications. Researchers and practitioners in these areas have been isolated from each other and would benefit greatly from a single forum at which they could share their experiences and learn from each other. Such applications include investigations into microbial volatile organic compounds, exhaled breath analysis, waste stream analysis, chemical warfare agent detection, product emissions measurement, medical uses and arson investigations.The Automated Methods Group of the Royal Society of Chemistry sponsors an annual workshop in the United Kingdom, where thermal desorption is a frequent subject of discussion. Except for a round-table on thermal desorption at the American Industrial Hygiene Association Conference & Exposition (Dallas, TX, 1997) and the EPA/Air & Waste Management Association's occasional Air Toxics symposium, there have not been any similar meetings in the USA.An international symposium was proposed through the NIOSH Deep South Center for Occupational Safety and Health at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB), to bring speakers with experience from Europe, together with investigators from the USA to explore the wealth of applications for the technique of thermal desorption. Topics for discussion included national and international standard methods, sorbent research, and quality control, as well as specific applications in the field of ambient and workplace air analysis, exhaled breath monitoring, product emissions measurement, microbial volatile organic compounds, and monitoring chemical weapons agents.The symposium was held as planned at the Birmingham Marriott Hotel. Accommodations and facilities were rated highly, and the weather was perfect. At the last moment, due to the unfortunate occurrences on September 11th, two speakers were unable to make the conference. Nevertheless, alternate speakers were found to provide essentially the same information, thus maintaining the integrity of the program. Hard-copies of all the presentation materials were reproduced and provided as a conference package to the attendees, who were delighted with this innovation. Some of these presentations have been submitted toJEMand are published here.The final roster included speakers and poster presenters from five European countries, as well as from the USA. The US speakers included representatives from two government agencies (EPA and NIOSH). All presenters were rated above average. Four students provided posters, including one from Germany. A poster prize of $500 was awarded to the best student poster.Highlights of the symposium included Dr Ardith Grote of NIOSH and her excellent presentation on the wide scope of investigations performed in industrial situations (including a factory making chocolate-covered cherries), and Dr William “Bill” McClenny of EPA and his comparisons of on-line, canister and solid sorbent sampling of outdoor air, in the presence of humidity and ozone. The other speakers were Dr Richard H. Brown (UK Health and Safety Laboratory) who spoke on international and (deputizing for Dr Jan Levin, Swedish National Institute for Working Life) European standards, Dr Jay Jayanty (Research Triangle Institute, USA) and Dr Jan Kristensson (University of Stockholm, Sweden) discussing research activities, Dr Theo Hafkenscheid (Netherlands Meet-Institute) emphasizing quality control activities, Dr Peder Wolkoff (Arbeidsmiljoinstitut, Denmark) on analyzing emissions from products used in buildings, Dr John Cocker (UK Health and Safety Laboratory) on exhaled breath monitoring, Dr Charlene Bayer (Georgia Tech, USA) on microbial VOC monitoring and Dr Martin Harper (UAB, USA) on monitoring chemical warfare agents.Nine exhibitors (Markes International, Perkin-Elmer, Gerstel, OI Analytics/CMS Field Products, Dynatherm/CDS, Dani, Entech Instruments, EAI Corporation, and SKC) rented booths and the organizers would like to thank them for their support. Markes International sponsored the faculty dinner.Perhaps the flavour of the symposium can best be provided by some of the comments received:“Really enjoyed the specific applications presented, these give a scope of real life application of the thermal desorption technique.”“Strength is in the breadth of international participation.”“The binder with the presentation slides is absolutely great! I wish all conferences did that.”“I was also impressed with the overall organization of the symposium. Location was excellent—both the hotel and the city of Birmingham.”“I hope there will be future conferences.”The organizers would like to acknowledge financial support from CDC/PHS conference support grant R13/CCR418746-01-1, and from the Shell Foundation. The symposium was co-sponsored by Centers for Disease Control, NIOSH, and the Deep South Center for Occupational Safety and Health, and the University of Alabama at Birmingham, School of Public Health.

ISSN:0960-7919    

DOI:10.1039/b208197k

出版商:RSC    

年代:2002

数据来源: RSC